Here’s Exactly What You Get With Your Nintendo Switch Online Subscription

Nintendo Switch Online has arrived. The paid online service for Nintendo’s go-anywhere home video game system comes with an array of features that provide a great value to Nintendo Switch owners. Individual memberships are available for $3.99 for one month, $7.99 for three months or $19.99 for 12 months. Up to eight Nintendo Account holders can use a family membership, which costs $34.99 for a year.

“In addition to online play, Nintendo Switch Online includes Save Data Cloud backup for compatible games, a growing library of classic NES games with newly added online play, a smartphone app for voice chat and other features for supported games, and exclusive special offers, like a pair of wireless NES Controllers that can be used to play NES games on Nintendo Switch,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “It’s a tremendous value.”

Online Play: Nintendo Switch Online allows players to engage in competitive or cooperative gameplay with people around the world in many current and upcoming games like Splatoon 2, ARMS, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Tennis Aces, Super Mario Party and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As a reminder, players won’t automatically become Nintendo Switch Online members when the service starts, so they will need to purchase an Individual or Family Membership to avoid disruption of their online play in compatible games. A seven-day free trial is also available from Nintendo eShop.

NES – Nintendo Switch Online: For the first time ever, players will be able to enjoy NES games online. Depending on the game, players can engage in online competitive or co-op multiplayer, or take turns controlling the action. Friends can even watch each other play single-player games online, and virtually “pass the controller” at any time.

The 20 NES games launching with the service today are Balloon Fight, Baseball, Donkey Kong, Double Dragon, Dr. Mario, Excitebike, Ghosts ’n Goblins, Gradius, Ice Climber, Ice Hockey, The Legend of Zelda, Mario Bros., Pro Wrestling, River City Ransom, Soccer, Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3, Tecmo Bowl, Tennis and Yoshi. Today marks the first time that Pro Wrestling has been available anywhere since it launched for the original NES.

Nintendo will add additional classic NES games at no extra charge. Games planned for October include NES Open Tournament Golf, Solomon’s Keyand Super Dodge Ball. In November, members will receive Metroid, Mighty Bomb Jack and TwinBee. And in December, members get Adventures of Lolo, Ninja Gaiden and Wario’s Woods. The NES – Nintendo Switch Online library will continue to grow in 2019.

Save Data Cloud Backup: The Save Data Cloud backup that comes with Nintendo Switch Online memberships automatically creates a backup copy of save data for compatible Nintendo Switch games. This makes it easy for players to retrieve save data if they lose their system or start using a new one.

Special Offers: A Nintendo Switch Online membership also gives people access to special offers, such as the exclusive chance to purchase a pair of wireless Nintendo Entertainment System Controllers, which look like the original NES controller. The accessory makes playing NES – Nintendo Switch Online games feel even more authentic. Plus, it docks with and charges on the Nintendo Switch system. NES controllers can be pre-purchased as a set of two for $59.99 (plus shipping and tax) at https://nesc.nintendo.com/nintendo-entertainment-system-controllers by users with an active, paid Nintendo Switch Online membership. Free trial users are not eligible. NES controllers are limited to one set per Nintendo Account holder, and initial orders of the controllers will ship in December.

Also, everyone who buys an Individual 12-Month Membership or a Family Membership to Nintendo Switch Online will receive a download code for exclusive in-game Splatoon 2 gear, based on the jerseys worn by the team that won the Splatoon 2 World Championship during E3 2018.

9 comments

So for a great price of 20$ you can now pay for previously free internet that you already paid for your internet provider, get access to 20 ancient games, backup saves in some games, and have an option to buy some overpriced shitty controllers that you can only use on these 20 ancient games.
What else can you say to that offer than “I’m gonna buy the 1 one year subscription tomorrow”?

Except Nintendo’s online is often a laggy mess, and no, no one cares about Bill and his “Oh well its great for me!!”, it doesn’t work for a shit ton of other people though, you aren’t special. (Don’t forget the ass backwards anti-cheat)
The features are very limited and voicechat on the phone is ridiculous. “Oh go use discord, who needs voice chat”
Well lets see the Switch’s concept is to take it anywhere, taking a phone out and putting it somewhere else with you is inconvenient to talk online.
Besides that the other two companies make this a standard.
Sure only $20 dollars. But we are now paying $20 for a bunch of shitty laggy online play get got before for free with new and uninteresting/limited features. Also cloud saves are stupid. You could back up saves on the Wii and GameCube and any other console, why is this some cool feature now?
Anyways I love Nintendo, so the fanboy comments coming to defend this don’t work on me. I don’t have to like something that isn’t worth costing money. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

For me personally, $20 for a year of online access and cloud saves is a no brainer. But Nintendo is effin’ crazy if they think I’m gonna drop an additional $60 for old NES controllers that can only be used on a few old 8 bit NES games. That’s cool that we have the option to play all those classics, but unless the price goes down(it wont), no way.

I wanted to demo the service but you still are required to enter your credit card information so they can charge you after the 7 days are over (unless you opt out, of course).
-sigh- it’s not my favorite business tactic :/

We’ll see where this leads. I already got my 1 year subscription. For all our gripes of what this service is lacking.
(& it’s truly lacking, lmbo)
But for $20 (1 year), $8 (3 months) & $4 (1 month)….. hell, it’s worth the risk at such a cheap price. Not to mention, are you guys really not gonna get the service with SUPER SMASH BROS ULTIMATE & MARIO PARTY on the horizon?